UNCORKED

Cheaper by the bubble

Cava trumps Champagne when budget enters the sparkling-wine equation

December 27, 2006|By Bill Daley, Tribune food and wine reporter

Good bargains are often scarce at the holidays. The sparkling wines of Spain are a delicious exception.

Known simply as cava, Catalan for "cellar," these Spanish bubblies are made according to the traditional methods used most famously in France's Champagne region--but the resulting wines often cost a fraction of the French price, often less than $20 a bottle.

"Cava always sells really well for us," said Michael Scharber, partner in Kafka Wine Co. in Lakeview. "It's so modern and easy to drink. It has broad appeal."

Scharber said the store is "ripping through" cases of the 2002 Marques de Gelida cava because the bubbly has lots of fruit flavor as opposed to the more traditional, yeastier taste of Champagne.

That certain cava flavor also draws Charles Stanfield, the sparkling-wine authority at Sam's Wines & Spirits. So special is the flavor that he confesses to growing annoyed when people call cava "the Spanish Champagne."

"They should call it what it is," Stanfield insisted. "It's the Spanish sparkling wine. Champagne is Champagne, cava is cava. When you're one of the most popular sparkling wines in the world, you don't have to compare yourself to anything."

Cava's minerality keeps bread-like aromas to a minimum, Stanfield said. It's not as fruity as American bubbly or as melon-like as Italian prosecco. The minerality makes cava a good match for seafoods, cream sauces and white meats, he said.

Most cava comes from the Penedes region of Catalonia in northeastern Spain. The predominant white wine grapes used are macabeo (viura), parellada and xarel-lo, according to "The New Wine Lover's Companion." Chardonnay also is permitted. Some cava producers make rose versions by using garnacha (grenache), monastrell (mourvedre) and pinot noir, the wine dictionary reports.

Spain is the largest producer of sparkling wine in the world, according to Wines of Spain, a division of the Trade Commission of Spain in New York. The United States is Spain's third-biggest customer for cava. Germany is first, followed by the United Kingdom.

Beyond the taste, price is a major draw.

Doug Jeffirs, wine director of Binny's Beverage Depot stores, said he tries to sound out sparkling wine buyers on whether they want high-end bubbly or something more everyday.

"If they are looking for something more crowd-pleasing, I take them there [to cava]," Jeffirs said. "They get more bang for the buck."

Scharber agrees cava is easy to serve at parties because it is less expensive than French or Italian sparkling wines.

"When I hear the words `entertaining' and `budget,' cava pops out in my mind," he said. "The Spanish know their market. They compete with gorgeous packaging and a great price point."

If you choose to ring in the New Year with cava, make sure to serve plenty of food. These Spanish sparklers can carry quite a kick, offering up lots of tart, citrusy notes that can act with food like a spritz of lemon.

The Good Eating tasting panel tried eight cavas. Some were vintage, some not (wines with no year listed are non-vintage). Most were under $20 and thus an affordable alternative for New Year's Eve entertaining.

J. Esteve Nadal Cava Avinyo Brut Reserva

Tart, citric, with a nose that ranged from grapefruit to tar, this sparkler had muscle underneath its creamy blanket of bubbles. Notes of grapefruit, lime, even incense marked the flavor. Serve with cheeses, oysters wrapped in bacon.

$15 (3 corkscrews)

U Mes U Fan Tres Cava 1+1=3

Consider this Sprite for adults with plenty of lemon and lime notes for sparkle. A creamy, almost powdery stone element offered balance. It tied with the Gramona Cava Gran Cuvee. Serve with Spanish ham, scallops in cream sauce.

$15 (2 corkscrews)

2003 Gramona Cava Gran Cuvee

Surprisingly spicy with a lemony-pear flavor. Lots and lots of tiny bubbles underscored the wine's zest. Serve with shrimp, green olives and almonds.

$19 (2 corkscrews)

Freixenet Cava Cordon Negro Extra Dry

Fruity with an aroma of hay, leather and moss. Smooth flavor, short finish, bubbles build slowly to a dramatic mouth-filling sensation. Serve with paella, Parmesan cheese and Spanish chorizo.

$11 (2 corkscrews)

1999 Raventos i Blanc Cava Gran Reserva Brut Nature

Lots of mineral elements first, followed by citrusy notes that melt into soft floral touches. The bubbles create a buoyant foam on the tongue. Serve with chicken in cream sauce, shrimp quiche.

$29 (2 corkscrews)

2002 Marques de Gelida Cava Brut Exclusive Reserva

Very fizzy, sharp, with notes of granite and lime. Some yeastiness on the finish. Serve with caviar-topped blinis, shrimp.

$13 (2 corkscrews)

Tierra Salvaje Cava Brut Reserva

Made by Chandon Espana, the Spanish arm of the French Champagne house Moet & Chandon, this kosher sparkler has an oily, mineral flavor spritzed with lime. Tart. Serve with cheeses, figs, apricots.

$12 (2 corkscrews)

Montsarra Cava Brut

Notes of pineapple, stone and lime marked this wine, but most tasters found it very one-dimensional. Serve with macaroni and cheese, ham.

$15 (1 corkscrew)

--B.D.

(4 corkscrews) Excellent

(3 corkscrews) Very good

(2 corkscrews) Good

(1 corkscrew) Fair

(No corkscrews) Poor

Sources: These wines may or may not be in stock at your local store; inquire first. At least one of these wines was found at these stores: Binny's Beverage Depot stores, UnCork It, Fox & Obel, Treasure Island Foods, WineStyles in Woodridge. Prices may vary from store to store. Prices are rounded off.